Jane Elliot Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Do you read them in chronological order (The Magician's Nephew first)? Or do you read them by order of publication (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first)? I think I read them in chronological order last time I read them, and I don't remember even realizing there were different preferences. I'm planning to begin reading them again to my youngest bunch. Which order do you prefer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingLife Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 In the oreder they were published, I don't get where the Magician's Nephew fits into the whole series.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I will argue for publication order anytime! I love the Magician's Nephew, but The Lion Tue Witch and the Wardrobe is a much better first read! I love having the mystery of the lamp post come out later after it has become important to the story. I compare it to Star Wars....do you watch 1-3 or 4-6 first? 4-6 leaves you with some mystery and suspense. If you watch 1-3 first you know who Luke, Leia, Earth Cadet, and the Emperor are. It ruins the action. But that is just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 :iagree: Yay! We agree on something!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yay! We agree on something!:D :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree:I think the re-numbering of the Narnia books is a complete travesty. It may be more orderly to read them in chronological order, but it makes no narrative sense. Fortunately, I still have my correctly numbered childhood copies. The Magician's Nephew is completely robbed of its magic and wonder if you read it first. I recently finished reading it to my daughter, and she was so excited at each revelation: "Ohhhh, the LAMPPOST!" "...So that's where the wardrobe came from?! Whoa!" If she hadn't already completely loved and understood Narnia, I can't imagine the book having that degree of impact at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I agree LWW, personally, but I thought I would add the opinion of DS7, since you are going to be reading to your young bunch: "The Magician's Nephew. So they would know what it's about." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: Yup. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think the re-numbering of the Narnia books is a complete travesty. It may be more orderly to read them in chronological order, but it makes no narrative sense. Fortunately, I still have my correctly numbered childhood copies. Me too! The Magician's Nephew is completely robbed of its magic and wonder if you read it first. I recently finished reading it to my daughter, and she was so excited at each revelation: "Ohhhh, the LAMPPOST!" "...So that's where the wardrobe came from?! Whoa!" If she hadn't already completely loved and understood Narnia, I can't imagine the book having that degree of impact at all. Exactly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Am I the only one who reads them in chronological order? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 We started with Magician's Nephew because that was how the set was numbered. If I did it again I would start with Wardrobe, it just makes more sense that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 :iagree: LWW first! Half the fun is in the discovery of the origins! Forgetting who it was, but someone said Every child should enter Narnia first thru the Wardrobe. @LuvingLife--Magician's Nephew contains the story of Narnia's creation. The old man in LWW who owns the mansion where the kids are evacuated to is a boy in that story. He made the wardrobe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Chronological. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: Through the wardrobe is the only way to enter Narnia for the first time. Whoever decided to renumber the series was an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I agree LWW, personally, but I thought I would add the opinion of DS7, since you are going to be reading to your young bunch: "The Magician's Nephew. So they would know what it's about." The point is that you *don't* know what it's about. It unfolds in the telling like the beautiful and mysterious thing that it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Through the wardrobe is the only way to enter Narnia for the first time. Whoever decided to renumber the series was an idiot. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I like to read them chronologically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 :Forgetting who it was, but someone said Every child should enter Narnia first thru the Wardrobe. It was C. S. Lewis himself who said this! And I totally agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I had never read all of the books in the series, only The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe until a few years ago. When the first of the more recent movies came out, I bought this: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=0066238501&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3A0066238501&ajr=0 which has all of the books in one volume and it has a note in the beginning that says: "Although The Magician's Nephew was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred." So....that is how I read them. :) It wasn't confusing to me at all and I rather enjoyed them and when I finally start reading them to my children, I will read them the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 :iagree:I think the re-numbering of the Narnia books is a complete travesty. It may be more orderly to read them in chronological order, but it makes no narrative sense. Fortunately, I still have my correctly numbered childhood copies. The Magician's Nephew is completely robbed of its magic and wonder if you read it first. I recently finished reading it to my daughter, and she was so excited at each revelation: "Ohhhh, the LAMPPOST!" "...So that's where the wardrobe came from?! Whoa!" If she hadn't already completely loved and understood Narnia, I can't imagine the book having that degree of impact at all. Yes yes yes. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Through the wardrobe is the only way to enter Narnia for the first time. Whoever decided to renumber the series was an idiot. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication order. Of course. :D ITA with whoever said that one's first trip to Narnia should be through a Wardrobe. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Ok, so the books are in this order in the volume that I mentioned earlier: The Magician's Nephew The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe The Horse and His Boy Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Last Battle If I read them in publication order, how would they be listed. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 it has a note in the beginning that says: "Although The Magician's Nephew was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred." There's some commentary on this here: "Perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone reads them," concluded C. S. Lewis in a letter—now famous among Lewis fans—dated April 23, 1957. Lewis's correspondent was an 11-year old American boy named Lawrence Krieg who had written suggesting the seven Chronicles of Narnia should be read in their chronological order, with The Magician's Nephew first, rather than in their publication order as was indicated on the covers and the one Lawrence's mother preferred, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first. Lewis initially seemed inclined to possibly accept Lawrence's proposal, though with qualification, writing: "I think I agree with your order for reading the books more than with your mother's." But given his later statement, that perhaps the order did not matter very much, it seems more likely that he was simply being gracious to a young admirer. And there's a longer and more elaborate discussion here: The only reason for reading The Magician's Nephew first is for the chronological sequence of events, and that, as every storyteller knows, is quite unimportant as a reason. Often the early events in a sequence have a greater impact or effect as a flashback, told after later events which provide background and establish perspective. So it is, I believe, with the Chronicles. The artistry, the archetypes, and the handling of Christian themes all make it preferable to read the books in the order of their publication. Several artistic effects in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are undercut when one of the other books is read before it. The careful use of details to enable readers to share Lucy's initial experience in Narnia and the equally careful buildup before Aslan's name is mentioned work best and have their fullest impact if this book is one's introduction to Narnia. The first reference to Aslan is by Mr. Beaver, when he meets the children in the woods: "They say Aslan is on the move--perhaps has already landed." The passage, significantly, assumes that readers have not already read other books about Narnia: "And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different" (ch. 7). Of course no other books had been written--or even planned, apparently--when these words were penned. But the fact that other books came later, filling in previous events, does not alter the artistry of the first book. The introduction to the lion is not at all the same, artistically or emotionally, in The Magician's Nephew: it assumes, on the contrary, that readers do have prior knowledge of him. When the voice first begins to sing in chapter 8, Lewis emphasizes the beauty, not the mysteriousness, of it. And when the sun rises and the singer becomes visible, the story says simply, "It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright it stood facing the risen sun" (ch. 8). There is no buildup like "Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion--the Lion, the great Lion" and no introduction to him as "the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea" as there is in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (ch. 8). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Ok, so the books are in this order in the volume that I mentioned earlier: The Magician's Nephew The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe The Horse and His Boy Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Last Battle If I read them in publication order, how would they be listed. :bigear: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician's Nephew The Last Battle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 There's some commentary on this here: And there's a longer and more elaborate discussion here: Thanks for those links! The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobePrince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician's Nephew The Last Battle Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Read the wardrobe one first (just so you can say you did), then quit. Narnia is an over-rated mish-mash. Zzzzzzzzzzzz! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 DS6 read TLTWATW first, then The Magician's Nephew, then the rest starting from book #2. The Magician's Nephew was such an old fave of mine, I prevailed on him to read it second. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Am I the only one who reads them in chronological order? I do! I didn't know there was any other way. I really don't see why I wouldn't read The Magician's Nephew first, since it is what happens first. But I like things orderly, so... :D The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobePrince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician's Nephew The Last Battle Wow! That is a LOT more different than I expected! And, interestingly enough, there are movies of the first 3. Did they know that when they made the movies or did they just decide those would be more interesting? I could never figure out why they skipped a book if they were going to make that many movies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication order. Only. Anything else is just plain wrong. I agree with those who say that it takes away from the magic and mystery of it to read Magician's Nephew before LWW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHowell Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 This is a bit old, but it looks like the Magician's Nephew is the next movie. I didn't see that coming, I thought for sure they would stay in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHowell Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Oh and I first read them in publication order, but when I read them to the kids I read them in chronological order. Seemed to make sense, and that was how they were numbered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Elliot Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Read the wardrobe one first (just so you can say you did), then quit. Narnia is an over-rated mish-mash. Zzzzzzzzzzzz! Bill Well, I never read a book just to say I did, so I'm going to read them again (for the fourth or so time) because I LOVE them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Elliot Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks for the links, Rivka. I'm off to read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Well, I never read a book just to say I did, so I'm going to read them again (for the fourth or so time) because I LOVE them. :iagree: I have read them all at least 5 times!! I am ready to start reading them to my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 This is a bit old, but it looks like the Magician's Nephew is the next movie. I didn't see that coming, I thought for sure they would stay in order. No more movies for at least a few years. The film option was allowed to expire during negotiations and there is a moratorium on leasing the options again. It will be years before the options can be leased again, and more years before they can then produce another film. The question many have at this point is whether the next company will just start all over, pick up with the next book, or what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: I bought mine recently so they are numbered chronologically. I just looked at the publication dates at the front of the books and rearranged them in the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 :iagree: Through the wardrobe is the only way to enter Narnia for the first time. Whoever decided to renumber the series was an idiot. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 ITA one should first enter Narnia though the wardrobe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Am I the only one who reads them in chronological order? Obviously not. But,:D you are all WRONG!;):lol::lol: I'm of the opinion that it should only be read in the proper, publication order.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMom Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Publication. Only. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Do you read them in chronological order (The Magician's Nephew first)? Or do you read them by order of publication (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first)? I think I read them in chronological order last time I read them, and I don't remember even realizing there were different preferences. I'm planning to begin reading them again to my youngest bunch. Which order do you prefer? Having read them over 7 times to my children, I have a strong opinion! :) Magician's Nephew, Chronicles of Narnia...The HOrse and HIs Boy.Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair AND...The Last Battle Makes more sense that way! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I don't have an opinion toward repeat reads but I do believe the first read should be done in publication order. That makes the most sense. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 First time through-order of publication. It rarely makes sense to read a prequel before a first work since the prequel is typically written with the assumption (conscious or unconscious) that the reader already has all the information from the first work(s) when they read the prequel. You loose all the wonder you experience with Lucy if you already know about Narnia. It is a shame to loose that connection since she is your companion through so many of the books. In the grand scheme of things The Magicians Nephew is a prequel to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Love the quote about entering Narnia through the wardrobe first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.